PROTECTING YOUNG GIRLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1921, Page 6

PROTECTING YOUNG GIRLS.

MORE SEVERITY' URGED. The provisions iu the Crimes Act dealing with cases of carnal knowledge of girls under the age of sixteen years, formed the subject of a petition presented to the Council of Christian Congregations at Christchurch .recently, by* the Social Hygiene Society. The petition, in the form of a resolution, read as follows:

“That a letter from the Council of Christian Congregations be sent to the Aiinister of Justices and the local members of Parliament, urging that legislation be introduced to have, the following words deleted from clauses 20tI

sub-section 2, and 216 sub-section (2), clause 208 and 21.6—‘Provided that it shall be a sufficient, defence to any charge under the section if it is made to appear to a jury before whom the charge is brought that the accused, had reasonable cause to believe the girl was of or above the age of 16 years,’ sub section 3, clause 216 —And that the word “six l ” in sub-section 3 of clause 216 shall be struck out. and. the word twelve substituted therefor.’ ”

; As an explanation of the object of the petition, the following extracts from the Crimes Act were attached to it:—‘Clause 216, sub-section (1), Everyone is liable, to five years’ imprisonment with hard labor who unlawfully carnally know any girl being of or over the age of twelve years and under the age of sixteen years. Subsection (2). It is no defence to an indictment for an offence under this section committed upon a girl under the age of sixteen that she consented to such offence, unless such girl is older than or of the same age as ihp person charged. Provided that. it. shall be t sufficient defence to any charge,under this section if it is <nade to appear to the jury 'before whom the charge is brought that the accused had reasonable cause to believe, that the girl was of or over the age of sixteen years. Sub section (3): No prosecution for an of(fence under this section shall be commenced more that) six months after the commission of the offence.” Tn presenting the resolution. Airs. Roberts, president of the. Social Hygiene Society, emphasised the need for such legulation as was suggested and quoted various instances of carnal knowledge 1 cases recently heard in Christchurch, in which the offender had escaped. There was, she said groat need for an extension of the time for laying the information in such eases, so as to enable sufficient lime to elapse for the condition of the girl to become noticeable. For the sake of the poor children so often “sinned against rather than sinning,” laws on the lines indicated should bo made without further delay. Airs. Roberts pointed out how girls, when in Court, frequently looked older than they actually were, and as the jury had no opportunity of seeing the victim as she was at the time that the offence took place, the prisoner’s plea of thinking that she was over was.accepted. Th- j law. really afforded little protection toq a girl ove.r 13 or 14 year- of age. AL ; most always, Mrs. Roberts ■ ontinued, ; the children victimised were ilJegitimatil. i or the children of the weakest aiyl I poorest members of the eontmunity!; ; children who had not been guarded anu i protected sufficiently in their ehildhoou | days, and who had had to leave school and face the. world when they were j about 13. Many, of course, were de- : praved or vicious, but they were not al- ; ways at fault. A- IT. G. D'ells had i said: "We give them their liberty too j soon, we teach tlu?m too late, we pun- ; ish them too severely.” i The Rev. W. Ba umber said some such j proposal was an absolute necessity. The Rev. T. Feo, said that girls would ' get more fair play if those cases were < dealt with by women juries. Eventually the resolution embodied in the petition was unanimously carried.